Elastic holder and sewing appliance



United States Patent 72] Inventor Fred H. Ewert f 2104 Shady Lane Drive, Gladstone, Missouri 64118 [21] Appl. No. 769,058 [22] Filed Oct. 21, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 ELASTIC HOLDER AND SEWING APPLIANCE 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[51] Int. Cl D05b 21/00 [50] Field of Search ll2/l36, 148, 121.26; 223/61, 63

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 748,131 12/1903 Winterbotham 223/61 2,610,596 9/1952 Zygmunt 112/1 21.26 5/1953 Cozart ll2/l21.26

Primary Examiner-H, Hampton Hunter Attorney- Fishburn, Gold and Litman ABSTRACT: An elastic holder and sewing appliance for applying elastic braid to cloth material and having elongate planar bars engaged in an overlying relation and each having an arm extending laterally from one end thereof with the arms being in spaced opposed relation thereby defining a generally U-shaped structure with one of the bars being movable longitudinally relative to the other and a plurality of point projections mounted on each of the arms and extending upwardly from an upper face ofeach arm with the projections on one arm being inclined in an opposite direction to the projections on the other arm. A plurality of pairs of jaws engage the bars for maintaining same in a clamped engagement for retaining the arms in selected spaced relation while the elastic braid and material are in an extended condition.

Patented Nov.24,1970 3,542,:

INVENTOR. FRED H. EW ERT ATTO RN EYS ELASTIC HOLDER AND SEWING APPLIANCE The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing appliances or aids and more particularly to a structure for extending elastic braid and material to receive same and for holding the elastic braid and material in an extended condition while being sewed together.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide an elastic holder and sewing appliance forfacilitating sewing elastic braid onto material to receive same; to provide such a sewing appliance whereby the installation of elastic material in the waistband or other garment portion requiring elastic for a suitable fit is a simple operation; to provide such a sewing apparatus which may be readily adjusted to accommodate elastic braids of various lengths and widths; to provide such a sewing appliance wherein a professional and uniform appearance is obtained when elastic braid is sewed onto any flexible material; to provide such a sewing appliance which is simple in construction, efficient in operation, strong and durable in construction. compact and lightweight, and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. I is a perspective view of a sewing appliance embodying features of the present invention showing elastic braid and material to receive same maintained in an extended condition while being sewed together.

FIGv 2 is an elevational view of the sewing appliance with an alternate position of one'end shown in dashed lines.

FIG. 3 is a transverse enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3, FIG. 2, showing clamps for maintaining the ends of the sewing appliance in selected positions.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral I generally designates a sewing appliance having a structure for extending elastic material or fabric such as tape or cloth braid 2 and flexible material 3 to receive the elastic braid 2 and for holding the elastic braid 2 and the flexible material 3 in an extended condition while being sewed together. An elongate upper bar 4 having an arm 5 extending laterally from one end thereof is in an overlying relation to an elongate lower bar 6 having an arm 7 extending laterally therefrom. A plurality of material engaging projections 8 extend upwardly from an upper surface 9 of each of the arms 5 and 7. A pair of longitudinally spaced clamps 10 engage the bars 4 and 6 and guide same while the spacing between the arms 5 and 7 is being adjusted and maintain the bars 4 and 6 in clamping engagement upon completion of the adjustment.

The upper and lower bars 4 and 6 each have an elongate slot II extending longitudinally therealong which are alineable to receive a shaft I2 mounted in each of the clamps 10. In the illustrated structure, the clamps I0 each have a lower jaw 14 and an upperjaw 15. The lower jaw 14 is a U-shaped member having a web portion 16 with flanges l7 and 18 extending upwardly from opposite edges of the web portion 16. The shaft 12 is suitably secured to an interior surface of the web portion I6, as by welding. The upper jaw is a downwardly open U- shaped member having aweb portion I9 and flanges 20 and 21 extending downwardly from opposite edges of the web portion 19. The flanges 20 and 21 of the upper jaw 15 are in an overlying relation with the flanges l7 and 18 of the lower jaw 14 whereby the upper jaw 15 may move relative to the lower jaw 14.

Each of the shafts 12 extends through the slot 11 in the bars 4 and 6 and through an opening 22 in the web portion19 of the respective upper jaw 15 thereby positioning the upper jaw 15 in an overlying relation with the respective lowerjaw 14. A suitable tightening device 23 is mounted on each of the shafts l2 and is operative to maintain the respective jaws I4 and 15 in clamping engagement with the bars 4 and 6 whereby the sewing appliance I may be maintained in a position having the arms 5 and 7 at a selected spacing. In the illustrated structure, the shafts 12 are threaded and the devices 23 are wing nuts.

In use the wing nuts 23 are each loosened until the bars 4 and 6 are free to move relative to each other. One end of the flexible material 3 is engaged with the material engaging projections -8 on one of the arms. as, for example arm 5, and one end of the elastic tape or braid 2 is impaled or mounted on the material engaging projections 8 in an overlying relation with the material 3. The other end of the material 3 is impaled on the projections 8 on the other arm 7 with the other end of the elastic tape or braid 2 beingimpaled on the projections 8 on the arm 7 in matching relation with the material 3. The arms 5 and 7 are'moved apart until theelastic tape or braid 2 and material 3 are in the desired extended condition and the wing nuts 23 are each tightened to maintain the upper and lower jaws 14 and 15in clamping engagement with the bars 4 and 6. The elastic tape or braid 2 and the flexible material 3 are now in an extended condition and prepared to be sewed together as by being placed under the pressure foot of a sewing machine (not shown). After the elastic tape or braid 2 and flexible material 3 are sewn together, the wing nuts 23 are loosened and the arms 5 and 7 are moved toward each other until the combination elastic tape or braid and material may be removed from the projections 8 on the arms 5 and 7.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

Iclaim:

I. A sewing appliance for extending elastic braid and fabric material to receive same and for holding the elastic braid and fabric material in an extended condition while being sewed together, said sewing appliance comprising:

a. upper and lower flat elongate bars having portions engaged in overlying relation, said bars having end portions extending longitudinally from the overlying portions, said bars being movable longitudinally relative to each other; an arm extending laterally from the end portion of each of said elongate bars in spaced relation to the overlying portions, said arms being substantially at right angles with the respective bars and in opposed spaced relation whereby said bars and arms define a generally U-shaped structure, said arms having upper faces adapted to receive fabric material to be sewed;

c. a plurality of laterally spaced pointed projections mounted on each of said arms and extending upwardly from said upper face, said projections being inclined in a direction opposite the projections on the other respective arm;

d. clamping members releasably engaging said overlying portions of the elongate bars and permitting the bars to move longitudinally relative to each other; and

e. adjustable means engaging said clamping members and operable to tighten the same and clamp the overlying portions thereof together to hold the same in extended condition whereby fabric material overlying said arms and elastic braid positioned thereon are held by the projec' tions whereby said fabric material and elastic are stretched and retained with the fabric material in taut condition; and

I". wherein said elongate bars are each planar members having an elongate slot extending longitudinally thereof, said slot in said upper bar being alined with said slot in said lower bar; said clamping means has guide means associated therewith for guiding said elongate bars during relative longitudinal movement; said clamping means includes upper and lower jaws mounted in pairs on said elongate bars when in said overlying relation; said guide means is a threaded shaft mounted on each of said lower jaws, said threaded shafts each extend through said elongate slots and through said respective upper jaw; and wherein said threaded shafts each have a tightening device mounted thereon for maintaining said respective upper and lower jaws in clamping engagement with said elongate bars. 2. The sewing appliance as set forth in claim I wherein:

a. said lower jaws are each upwardly open U-shaped members each having a web portion and flanges extending upwardly from opposite edges of said web portion; and

b. said upper jaws are each downwardly open U-shaped members each having a web portion and flanges extending downwardly from opposire edges of said web portion. 

